Kitchener-Conestoga federal riding on chopping block

CAMBRIDGE — The federal riding of Kitchener-Conestoga is poised to be pulled apart.

As a result, an extra riding for the next national election won’t be created in Waterloo Region, as originally planned. Instead it will go to the Milton area.

So recommends the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario, which returns to Cambridge City Hall for more public hearings on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

Why the change? Mainly because many Brant residents, citing their unique connection with the city of Brantford and Six Nations, spoke out against being lumped in with a new riding called Kitchener South-North Dumfries-Brant.

So a much smaller slice of Brant is now being attached to Kitchener South.

At least not enough people to justify an additional riding essentially for Waterloo Region.

Instead, the new electoral district will shift to the burgeoning Milton area.

“We reassessed that area because of what we heard, not only in Cambridge but in Hamilton,” said Valin, an Ontario Superior Court Judge. “It became obvious to us the electoral district could be better used a little east of the Kitchener area.”

So Kitchener-Conestoga, which was to lose a piece of land south of Kitchener, is now to disappear under the proposed plan. The three Waterloo Region townships that are part of Kitchener-Conestoga will be tagged onto other federal ridings.

Wellesley and Wilmot Townships will join Perth to form Perth-Wellesley-Wilmot.

Woolwich Township will hook up with Wellington to form Wellington-Woolwich.

Tying Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich with other regions will certainly blur the political boundaries of Waterloo Region for the next nationwide election.

“We have trouble enough keeping municipalities whole,” said Valin, an Ontario Superior Court Judge. “When we impose counties on top and then regions on top of that, our job becomes impossible.”

In August, the commission recommended Waterloo Region get a fifth riding.

The list would have included Cambridge minus North Dumfries, Kitchener South with North Dumfries and a big chunk of Brant, a new Waterloo riding with no Kitchener component, a trimmed-down Kitchener-Conestoga and Kitchener Centre.

Now, after public hearings including a stop in Cambridge last month, the game plan has changed for a seat redistribution which usually happens once a decade.

The Harper government passed legislation that will add 15 new seats in Ontario. But Waterloo Region won’t see one of them.

On Tuesday, residents of Kitchener-Conestoga can voice their opinions.

“We try to keep as many people happy as we can,” Valin said.

“In the end, it’s not a popularity contest. We have to do what we feel works the best for everyone.”